FIG. 1 depicts an air-bearing surface (ABS) view of a read apparatus used in magnetic recording technology applications. The read apparatus 10 includes shields 12 and 18, insulator 14, magnetic bias structures 16, and sensor 20. The read sensor 20 is typically a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor or tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) sensor. The read sensor 20 includes an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer 22, a pinned layer 24, a nonmagnetic spacer layer 26, and a free layer 28. Also shown is a capping layer 30. In addition, seed layer(s) may be used. The free layer 28 has a magnetization sensitive to an external magnetic field. Thus, the free layer 28 functions as a sensor layer for the magnetoresistive sensor 20. If the sensor 20 is to be used in a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) configuration, then current is driven in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the layers 22, 24, 26, and 28. The magnetic bias structures 16 are used to magnetically bias the free layer 28.
Although the read apparatus 10 functions, there are drawbacks. The trend in magnetic recording is to higher density memories. For higher linear densities, the shield-to-shield spacing, SS, and the track width are both desired to be reduced. The shield-to-shield spacing for the read apparatus is on the order of twenty-two nanometers or more. The read sensor 20 may not adequately read high linear density media. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for improving the performance of a magnetic recording read apparatus at higher linear densities.